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Jämtland Härjedalen

The region has a unique flora and fauna and is often referred to as “the lungs of Europe”. In addition to the clean air, it is well known for its accessible wilderness, superb homemade foods, the contrasts of the midnight sun and the winter darkness and its five clearly defined seasons.

Jämtland / Härjedalen

sandralee.se/Jämtland Härjedalen Turism

The region of Jämtland Härjedalen is situated in the south part of northern Sweden. Jämtland Härjedalen has a population of around 127,000 people. Some 60,000 live in the one city of the region, Östersund, founded in 1786 and a strong commercial centre.

Tourism has a long history and tradition in Jämtland Härjedalen. During the 20th century tourism has developed into one of the most important industries. The largest destinations of Jämtland Härjedalen are Åre, Vemdalen, Funäsfjällen, Lofsdalen and Östersund.

The Sámi culture, with its own history and traditions, has had a major influence on the region. Jämtland Härjedalen has a total of 12 Sámi villages and around 44,000 reindeer. Experience Sapmi through some of the regions sami companies.

Gastronomy Jämtland Härjedalen. The region is full of culinary innovators: awarded breweries, active shielings, tasty farm dairies, bakeries and of course charming restaurants. No wonder the region around Östersund is one of the worlds Creative Cities of Gastronomy (awarded by UNESCO).

The highest mountain peak in the area is Helags, which has Sweden’s southernmost glacier and stands 1,797 metres above sea level. Sonfjället in Härjedalen is the county’s national park. The area also has some 50 nature reserves. Lake Storsjön in the centre of Jämtland Härjedalen is Sweden’s fifth largest lake with an area of 456 km2.

Lake Storsjön is the home of Storsjöodjuret/the Storsjö Monster. It was first mentioned in a legend from 1635 and today there are more than 200 witness reports from 500 people who claim to have seen the Storsjö Monster.

Climate. The coldest month is January –8,6 degrees Celsius in Östersund on average. The warmest month is July when the average temperature reaches 13,4 degrees Celsius. The longest day is at the end of June when the sun sets at 22.16 and rises at 01.50 in Östersund. Between sunset and sunrise there is twilight, so it doesn’t get completely dark. During the darkest period at the end of December, the sun rises at 09.42 and sets at 14.20 in the Östersund area.

Connections. Available airports – Åre/Östersund Airport and Sveg Airport plus Norwegian Trondheim/Vaernes and Röros Airports. Mittnabotåget – the train connection between Trondheim in Norway and Östersund, (connection from Trondheim/Vaernes Airport). There are several train connections daily from Stockholm, Gothenburg, Sundsvall and Malmö. The Inlandsbanan railway also runs through Jämtland Härjedalen on its way on to the arctic circle, and offers a ride with great touristic value throughout the summer. The most important road connections are the roads E14 between Sundsvall and Trondheim in Norway, and E45 between (Italy) Gothenburg and Karesuando in the north.